


Where We Hide

by twohearts



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Adopted Sibling Relationship, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Cyberpunk, Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Alternate Universe - Teenagers, Angst, Autistic Kara Danvers, Gen, Mind Control, Unethical Experimentation, Will add on more characters as they appear, With loose inspiration from Batman Beyond and a touch of Gotham City Garage
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-29
Updated: 2020-08-25
Packaged: 2020-09-28 20:07:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 16,036
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20431709
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/twohearts/pseuds/twohearts
Summary: Even under the Luthor family's growing control of National City, the alien underground lives. If only Alex and Kara Danvers could find them. But being a newly orphaned human with an alien sibling to protect doesn't leave you time for much more than basic survival. That is until a slip-up puts the two sisters right in the middle of the underground's fight for freedom.ORThe sort of Cyberpunk AU





	1. How Things Are

**Author's Note:**

> Greetings. 
> 
> I had an idea to take some elements from Batman Beyond (mostly in the futuristic sense and massive evil corporation sense) and Gotham City Garage (that is the domed, Luthor-controlled city), and put them into a cyberpunk AU of sorts. 
> 
> This is the first fanfiction that I have published in quite some time and I am using it as an exercise, which will hopefully keep me invested and updating with some frequency.
> 
> I hope you enjoy and leave a comment if you are so inclined.

This late at night few cars were on the highway. The curfew was 10pm and with it all civilian-designated vehicles shut down. The only cars left running were government operated, like the patrol cars rushing by above their heads.

As their rumbles grew louder, Alex glanced over at Kara; her sister had squeezed herself into a just big enough crack in the concrete blocks keeping the bridge from collapsing. Alex could just make out the image of her boot-clad feet pushing at the ground, and though Kara was shrouded in darkness, it was obvious her hands were over her ears.

Alex sighed. They needed to get out of this freaking city.

A horn pierced through the air and the bridge seemed to shake as the patrol cars sped up. In a moment, the cars were gone and the world was still once more. But, though the horn had stopped, it wasn’t silent. Alex winced at the high-pitched groan that had taken the horns place. It was continuous. It was guttural. It was-

“Kara.” Alex snapped and the groaning stopped. “They’re gone. You can come out now.”

A head poked out from the crack. “Gone?” Kara repeated.

Alex nodded.

“Gone.” Kara repeated again and slid out from her cave.

“C’mon.” Alex motioned for Kara to stand. “Let’s find somewhere slightly quieter to sleep tonight.”

At that, Kara nodded furiously and scrambled to her feet.

Alex’s brow furrowed as she realized Kara’s pants legs barely reached her ankles. They’d fit right a few days ago. Come to think of it, they’d fit right yesterday.

Her eyes ran up and down Kara’s small form. Or what had been Kara’s small form. Just a few months ago it seemed like Kara was all skin and bones, a kid who barely came up to Alex’s shoulder. She’d looked so weak, befitting of a creature who’d lost her entire planet. But now she looked as though she’d come up to Alex’s nose if not higher, and she’d filled out, shoulders becoming broader, thin limbs now laced with a layer of muscle. All of that was quite the feat, considering Alex couldn’t remember the last time either of them had had a meal that didn’t come wrapped in plastic.

But if Kara was growing stronger that meant other changes were on their way too, changes that her parents had known how to deal with, had been intimately aware of, but that Alex couldn’t even fathom.

She’d only met Clark once and that had been when he’d… She gulped, remembering the green veins popping from his skin. That had been when he’d brought Kara to them. He’d moved faster than she’d ever imagined possible, a blur more than a man. But when he had stood still as he lowered Kara into her mother’s arms, she’d seen that he was a hulking man. Even the way his body sagged as the glow grew more luminous couldn’t hide that he was all muscle, far beyond peak human condition.

And that was only the start of his abilities.

Her father had rushed Clark away to the home lab before Alex could examine him further. She’d been pulled away, ordered to go to her room and make sure her bed was clear so Kara could be deposited there later. Still, the walls of their apartment were thin, and even at his weakest, the man of steel’s ragged breaths carried. It was only when they’d abruptly stopped that…

“Alex.”

She shook her head, pulled from her memories, to find Kara staring at her. Her head was tipped, her blue eyes wide and curious. Her fingers beat out a rhythm against her hips.

“Right. Let’s go.” Alex said, just as another car whooshed by above. Before Alex could even blink, Kara was squeezed into the crack again.

She sighed. They had to get out of this freaking city.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

The next morning, they rose before the sun. For Kara it was easy; she’d never actually settled into a proper sleep schedule on Earth and with every little whisper blasting in her ears, it seemed she never would.

Besides, she liked the early morning. The world was just starting to shake off the vestiges of sleep, and that meant everything from lights to people was still soft. They would grow harsher throughout the day. Bigger. Bolder. Until everything was sharp, sharp enough to feel like it was piercing her skin, her ears, her eyes.

Even so, that was still preferable to the dead of night.

Nothing filled the resulting vacuum. Nothing reached up to break the steady pulse of quiet, continuous life. Nothing emerged to pull Kara out of the twenty-four years of sleepy sounds that echoed in the back of her head, like half forgotten dreams.

It was only when someone awoke, startled awake by illness or nightmare, that Kara could even begin to drift off. And that happened less often than people, than Alex, might think.

Alex’s body was a well-oiled machine, but it was still a teenage body and the urge to sleep in was strong. Alex hated to admit it, but if it wasn’t for Kara hovering over her just before dawn, there was a good chance they both might’ve been caught long ago.

“Kara, you need to keep the jacket on.” Alex sighed as she slipped her own over her shoulders.

“Scratchy.” Kara wrinkled her nose and let the blazer slide off her shrugged shoulders.

“Kara,” Alex watched her sister flinch at the sudden spike in volume. She almost spent a second to apologize, but instead rushed to Kara’s side and swept the now dirty jacket off the ground. “, You know we only have one of these. You cannot get it dirty.”

“Scratchy.”

With a sigh, Alex dusted off the navy blazer. It really wasn’t much worse for wear; it was just the principal of the thing. Kara needed to understand that every little thing they had packed into their bags was important, irreplaceable even.

“I don’t care if it’s scratchy. You have to wear it.”

Kara kept her eyes on the ground, as though magically the blazer would end up pooled around her feet again.

“If you have to, pull your sleeves down and hike your collar up as far as it’ll go.” Alex held the blazer out. There was a moment of silence, during which Kara’s eyes flitted to her right, as though she sensed something just out of sight, but then she reached out and took the blazer.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Kara shrunk against Alex’s side as the green light rained down on them. She held on tight, the itchiness of her blazer forgotten as she waited for the burning sensation to begin. When it didn’t, when Alex kept walking as though nothing was amiss, Kara straightened up and squinted up at the buildings from which the green light emanated.

The familiar black L stared down, commanding the attention of passerby, but it was the green lights inset in a circle around the L that kept Kara watching, waiting for the other shoe to drop. The two girls went by this way every morning, and every morning Kara waited for the green glow to turn deadly.

“C’mon Kara,” Alex shrugged away. “, I need to be able to walk.”

Kara huffed but did as she was told. Instead, she tried to focus on the chatter of the news feeds high above their heads. The CatCo gossip column was on full blast, discussing the eligible bachelorhood of Governor Luthor. Kara tuned that out quickly.

The public transport had only woken up an hour ago, leaving the streets empty for another forty minutes or so. That gave the sisters just enough time to grab breakfast and look like they were on their way to school before their presence would be noticed. Alex had timed this out long ago, and the two kept to their routine every day.

They passed the corner bakery at half-past six, same as usual, and kept on walking. Above them the news feeds played on, finally putting out real news.

“The hunt is still on for the alien suspected of attempting to take the life of Governor Luthor’s sister, young Lena Luthor. More on this at 7.”

Alex pulled Kara down a side street.

“Another sighting of the mysterious Guardian has come in. This time from two sanitation workers who say they saw the man suspected of harboring alien fugitives ducking under a manhole cover. This has prompted an inquiry from the State Police’s office on the possibility of an underground lair.”

They stopped in front of a near-rusted over ATM.

“Don’t forget to apply for your government-funded Lexochips. Get news, messages, and even streaming capabilities all directly into your head.”

From her blazer pocket, Alex pulled out a small metal sphere connected to a wire. She took a quick look around before deciding the coast was clear and plugging the wire into the ATM’s audio port. A red light blinked on on top of the sphere. There was a slight whirring sound from inside the ATM and then a moment later a stack of crisp bills was spat out into Alex’s waiting hands.

“Crinkle these, will you Kara?” Alex asked as she disconnected the sphere.

Kara was only too happy to oblige. She turned the fresh notes into a crumpled mess before Alex had time to turn the sphere off.

“Nice work, kid.” Alex smiled. Kara beamed and the two were off again.

Their pace slowed the farther they got from the ATM, and turned downright leisurely as they passed out of the television conglomerate’s gaze. However, it was only when they were in front of a small corner deli, the words Noonan’s painted haphazardly on the overhang, that they came to a complete stop.

“Morning, girls.” Came Billy’s cheerful greeting as Kara and Alex entered.

“Morning, Billy.” Alex grabbed a few sandwiches from the shelf. “Kara, why don’t you pick out some snacks?”

Kara nodded and rushed to the back of the store.

“How’s she doing?” Billy asked, tipping his head toward where Kara had run off to.

Alex felt her heart quicken. Billy was the closest thing to a friend they had. He saw them everyday. The consistency was good for Kara, for both of them, but it also complicated their anonymity.

“What do you mean?”

“She just seems a little,” Alex could see the wheels turning in his head. “On edge.”

That was certainly a way to put it.

“She’s alright. A little overwhelmed.”

“Seems like she’s overwhelmed a lot? Everything good at home?”

Without a second thought, Alex replied. “Yes. Everything’s fine.”

She was good at these kinds of conversations, even if they rarely presented themselves. Her mouth knew just what to say to get the questions to stop, to appear normal. It came out on autopilot without triggering anything, any thoughts, any memories. Getting through to the next conversation was all her brain could handle.

And that was fine. It kept her focused. It kept her and Kara alive. It kept her from getting lost in her own head.

Like Kara.

Who let everything rattle her so much.

Alex could almost hear her mother scolding her for even thinking that.

A bitter taste filled her mouth.

“Kara.” She called and just a hair too quickly Kara was by her side. “Got what you want?”

Kara gingerly placed what was close to a dozen Twinkies onto the counter.

Billy raised an eyebrow.

“Growth spurt?” Alex supplied.

That got a smile out of Billy.

“Better not let your parents knows your sister’s having a dozen Twinkies for breakfast.” He laughed.

Kara’s brow furrowed.

Great, Alex thought. Just what she needed was Kara developing yet another complex.

“Trust me, they’re well aware of her eating habits.” It wasn’t a total lie. Her mom and dad had been intimately aware of Kryptonian dietary needs.

“Sure.” Billy laughed as he wrung them up.

Kara gathered up the Twinkies in her arms and one in her mouth as Alex paid Billy.

“Enjoy your breakfast, Kara.” Billy called after them.

“Thank you.” Came Kara’s muffled reply.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

The National City Luthor School was only a few blocks from Noonan’s. Its high metal fence ran into metal spires that twisted back up towards the building’s roof, like some kind of giant birdcage.

Kara and Alex had never stepped foot on its grounds. But right now, with their red blazers and impeccable posture, no one would know the difference.

Pools of children stood in hushed conversation at its gates. A sea of red against the grey background of National City.

Alex watched as girls her own age bent forward in what was certainly a gossip huddle. They were breaking the rules, Alex knew. Luthor students were quiet, did what they were told, and stood with the posture of royalty. Luthor students, that was to say, were the model child.

But the guards had yet to come collect their charges and even the cameras positioned atop the fence could not catch everything.

Alex tried not to stare too hard- that was a Kara thing- but she couldn’t help but watch as the girls giggled and gestured at seemingly nothing. Kara had no idea, but Alex remembered what that was like. She remembered laughter and sleepovers and fun. She remembered friends.

“Alex.” Kara’s voice was muffled.

Alex sighed and turned to find Kara covering her nose and mouth with her sleeve. “What?”

“Go.”

“Not yet, Kara. We need to stay a little longer. Keep up appearances.” Alex’s eyes drifted back to the group of girls.

It was a lie. And she knew it, hadn’t deluded herself into thinking this trip was really necessary.

Except it kind of was. Alex needed it. Kara might have been fine; she didn’t know what she was missing. But Alex couldn’t go with only seeing Billy and Kara day in and day out.

These kids, on some base level, were like her. Teenagers. Normal human teenagers.

Kara wouldn’t understand.

“Go.”

“I said not yet. And why are you covering your mouth?”

“Someone smells.”

“Yeah, pretty sure it’s the whole ninth grade.”

Kara’s brow furrowed.

Alex was about to reassure Kara that yes, they would be leaving shortly when the crowd of children surged forward, tripping Alex and drowning Kara in a sea of bodies.

“Kara!” Alex cried as pain hit her knees. “Kara?”

All she heard was the grunts and groans of two hundred children. What she would’ve done for Kara’s hearing at this moment.

Before she could fly into full-blown panic, though, a hand was on her back, pulling her to her feet. It was Kara, all wide eyes and impossible strength.

“Alex.” She tilted her head in understanding of something just out of Alex’s reach.

“Kara.” Alex let out a breath. And then realizing she was still a good three inches off the ground. “Put me down.”

Kara obliged as kids flowed around them, completely undeterred by the Danvers sisters roadblock.

“Go?”

“Yeah, let’s go.”

Alex took Kara’s hand in her own and pushed back against the crowd. The surge forward had taken her by surprise, but Alex was an expert at disappearing into a crowd. She let the children, younger and older, rush forward. Their exuberance, their joy, their sullenness all more eye-catching than the simple calm of Alex Danvers.

She held Kara close, the girls’ one oddity, their one personification. But even that would just be seen as sisterly overprotectiveness. Familial closeness was a value good children- Luthor children- admired.

When she was sure the cameras had caught them, Alex let herself back slowly down the street, away from the cameras. Whoever or whatever reviewed the city security footage would see two normal girls grabbing breakfast from a deli, blink out of surveillance, and then appear at school. Nothing odd there.

Sure, the blonde was a little fidgety, but maybe she had a big test today. Sure, the brunette stuck a little closer than was typical, but maybe she was just protective. Sure, they disappeared down a back alleyway that led away from the main bloc of town, but the cameras didn’t catch that.

They didn’t need to. They had a teenage girl capable of lifting her peer off the ground.


	2. What Went Where

National City could be divided into four major blocs. There was the Metropolis, the central hub of everything news and business. The Residence, the largest middle class residential area of the city. Governor’s Hill, home to the main Luthor Corp building and family mansion. And the Glades, seedy, impoverished, and with 99% less surveillance cameras.

That was where Alex and Kara spent their school days.

With everything so rough and tumble, it was hard to tell what was abandoned and what was simply dilapidated, but the girls had long since found what was once a library.

Its walls were high, only half its windows smashed, and it did not reek of garbage or urine. It was nearly perfect.

“Hey!” Alex yelled at the building’s imperfection. “This area is ours today.”

Two heads shot up from behind a toppled bookcase. Two heads belonging to the same body.

“So sorry.” One replied, accent heavy.

“But we won’t cause trouble. No trouble.” The other rushed in and was promptly shushed by his other half.

“Don’t care.” Alex shook her head, as the alien stumbled out from behind the bookcase.

She could see it for all it was now, not just two heads but four arms and a tail as well. And it was massive, probably over seven feet.

By all means, it should’ve been intimidating, but its torso was a twig, potentially even smaller than Kara’s when she’d first arrived. Alex looked it up and down, sizing it up with a power she knew she didn’t have.

When she found its legs, just two, that was when she noticed it; the branding. The flesh was still raw, red and meaty, and swelling into the shape of an L.

If Alex had been Kara, she would’ve felt a heat behind her eyes. “You’ve been with CADMUS?”

The alien nearly jumped into the air. Its eyes, all four between the two heads, grew wide, and then they fell on its leg, on the brand.

“No. No. We gots away. Not even registered. Not even close.” The first head urged, while the other nodded.

“No one gets away.” Alex spat. “Any minute now, CADMUS will show up, Taser us- if we’re lucky- and take us all away to be cut up. You’re going to let them do that to her?”

Alex stepped aside to reveal Kara, all hunched and small and blonde.

“No. No.” The alien hurried to say, both heads at once.

“Well that’s what’s going to happen if you stay here. You’ll lead ‘em right to us.”

The alien was starting to back away. “I’ll go. I’ll go.” He nearly tripped over his feet as he raced back into the shelves and presumably the main entrance.

When she was reasonably certain it was just the two of them, Alex unclenched her fists and took a deep breath.

“C’mon.” She motioned for Kara to follow her into the stacks. “Let’s find you a dictionary.”

When she didn’t hear footsteps behind her, Alex turned; Kara was just standing there, staring. “I said c’mon.”

Kara didn’t move.

“Are you going to just stand there all day?”

Kara let out a breath. “We could’ve shared.”

“He escaped CADMUS. We can’t take the chance they’re following him.”

“We could’ve shared.” Kara repeated, an edge to her voice that Alex wasn’t sure she’d heard before.

“Look, Kara, it’s not like I want the poor guy- guys, whatever- to be out on the streets, but he’s going to get caught again. He’s going to put us in danger.” Alex enunciated each word. Kara was not going to misunderstand her.

Kara didn’t move, didn’t speak, but Alex could see the wheels turning in her head. She didn’t need to stand up straighter or make eye contact; she knew that Alex was well aware that if she wanted something she could take it. This though, diplomacy, survival, strategy, it was Alex’s domain and it was one that Kara had never ventured into before. She’d never even voiced an opinion on it.

And then something curious happened. Kara’s eyes started to glow. It was like a switch had been flipped; her normally blue eyes were suddenly white and brighter than humanly possible.

An image flashed before Alex’s eyes. Muted colors all but the bright red emanating from _his_ eyes.

Alex ducked just as the imaged replayed in time. She grunted as her shoulder hit the floor, her eyes closing for less than a second. When she opened them, there was a fire before her eyes.

And Kara… Kara was staring at it. Her eyes were wide and blue again, the pupils dilated.

Kara mouthed something, presumably the Kryptonian equivalent of “whoa” before Alex was on her feet again, grabbing Kara’s hand.

“And now we have to go.” Alex yelled and gave Kara a tug. To her relief, Kara moved without a fight.

The girls were nearly out the door when Kara suddenly stopped.

“What are you doing?” Alex called back. “We have to go.”

“I can fix it.” Kara was already turning around.

“Kara!” But there was no stopping her, even running at human speed.

Alex found Kara back in front of the rows of shelves. Her head was up, her hands were in fists, and she stood up straighter than she did even by the school. She took a deep breath and then she blew.

Out of her mouth came what could only be described as a storm. It was clouds and ice and wind all bundled into a tornado that was somehow coming from her sister. And it froze everything in its path.

The fire was out before Alex could will her mouth to work. Replacing it was a glacier that ran from ceiling to floor and over rows and rows of half-standing shelves.

“Whoa.” Was all Alex managed to say.

“Now we can go.” Kara turned, beaming.

But as quickly as it had appeared, Kara’s smile was gone.

“Hey, what’s wro…” Alex was cut off as a hand clamped over her mouth.

She barely had time to look up, to see the dark mask hovering above her, before Kara was moving. In a flash, she bolted across the room; fist connecting with mask and a sickening crack hit the air.

Alex shook herself free just as the beeping started.

She looked behind her and saw Kara standing over an armor-clad figure. He was covered head-to-toe, but the mask, a simple configuration of plastic and goggles, was now cracked, split down the middle. A touch of pale flesh could be seen peeking out. It was his chest plate, though, that caught her eye.

It was separate from the rest of the armor and it wasn’t black at all. It was silver metal fashioned with a divot in the center. And inset into the divot, under a layer of Plexiglas, was a rock.

It couldn’t have been much bigger than Alex’s fist, but it glowed.

The beeps had accelerated.

Alex stood frozen; some part of her brain screamed “A bomb! Run you idiot. It’s a bomb.” But another part recognized the glow. And even if it hadn’t, there was no way it could have forgotten the green slithering up Kara’s skin, making her veins pop.

But Alex couldn’t move. She wanted to, could feel the energy, the momentum in her joints. But she could not move.

And that’s when she saw him. The two headed alien.

Kara fell to her knees and Alex watched.

“Alex… Alex…” Kara’s voice broke. Her breathing ran ragged.

And still Alex couldn’t move.

The two-headed alien watched, pupils dilated.

“Sorry.” He mouthed.

Alex felt her throat constrict and then everything went black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From my point of view, this chapter is much tighter than the first. 
> 
> Next chapter more characters will be introduced. 
> 
> Thanks for reading and leave a comment if you'd like.


	3. What Was Found

“She’s beautiful, mam.”

“Beautiful?”

“Yes, she hasn’t reached full maturation yet. Even CK-38, though gorgeous, was only useful as an example of an adult Kryptonian. He had clearly spent prolonged time under our yellow sun, had likely been here since early childhood.”

There was a pause. “She doesn’t have all of her powers?”

“No. I was even able to penetrate her skin.”

The second voice clicked her tongue. “Ready her for dissection then.”

Kara’s eyes flew open.

She was in a room. Silver. Metal. High ceilings. A lab.

“Mam,” She finally saw who was speaking. A slim man in a lab coat hunched over her. His eyes were gray and his skin had the pallor of someone who had not seen the sun in far too long. “, She’s awake.”

“What?” A woman came into view. Older than the man, her hair was pulled back into a harsh bun. Icy eyes met Kara’s. “She does have a Kryptonian metabolism then. Ice her again and then ready her for dissection.”

“No!” Kara wanted to cry but her mouth was not quite working. What came out was a half-gasp half-scream as the woman turned towards the door.

Something cold slid up her arm. She glanced down and saw a tube running the length of her forearm. At its end was a bandage, like the kind Alex had used when she’d scraped her knee, holding something warm and metallic to her flesh.

Coldness sprang across her chest and her breath caught in her throat.

This was bad. This was bad. Where was Alex? She needed Alex.

Kara tried and look around the lab, but her head wouldn’t turn. She could only stare up into the gray man’s eyes. He watched her without a frown or a sadistic grin. He just watched.

“Dr. Luthor?” He spoke without taking his eyes off Kara.

“Hmm?” The woman was nearly at the door.

“We may be able to learn more from her alive.”

“And why do you think that, doctor?”

“She’s at least thirteen but has yet to develop a full set of powers. CK-38 was clearly here from a young age, but she wasn’t. And yet we know that their planet was destroyed around CK-38’s birth. How is she younger than he was?”

Kara glanced at Dr. Luthor. The woman was watching her, head cocked to the side. Kara’s shoulders twitched as ice ran through them too

The doctor sighed. “Perform procedure 644-A. Then we’ll bring in the Vertullarian.” Dr. Luthor turned once again. “And ice her again, just in case.”

“Yes, mam.”

Kara was about to protest when ice snuck up her sides and into her temples. She gasped in pain as the ice settled in her forehead, and then promptly passed out.

* * *

“This one appears to be human.”

“Are you certain? We’ve been seeing more and more of those half-breeds.”

Alex felt something cold and smooth travel up her arm.

She wanted to open her eyes. She really did. But just like in the library, nothing seemed to work.

Her heart should’ve been beating out of her chest. This was her worst nightmare. This was what she’d promised her parents she would prevent. She should have been terrified, but she couldn’t even work up to scared.

She just lay there, waiting for Kara to shake her awake.

That’s what Kara would do, Alex thought and tried to nod her head. When nothing happened, she gave up and let her body relax into the metallic table.

“How much ice did you give her?” The voices were growing wobblier, echoing from loud to soft and back again.

Alex would have laughed if she could. They sounded funny.

“None.” The other voice laughed. Alex wished she could join him. “This is all from Twofer.”

“Didn’t even know he could hit ‘em that hard.”

The voices went back and forth for a bit, talking of ice and twos and comas. Alex really didn’t care; she just wanted to sleep. It had been a long day.

But then, just as she was going to use her last remaining strength to shush the voices, they stopped.

Alex waited for them to return, but after five or twenty minutes- her sense of time had basically gone out the window- the room was still silent.

And just like that something brushed her arm. Not cold and smooth, but warm and rough. Like, what was it? A hand. A hand!

“Kid?” A new voice said, deep and sure.

Unfortunately, Alex really wasn’t in the mood for conversation.

“Kid?” The voice was louder this time, more harsh.

Alex opened her mouth, waiting for words to come out.

“The guards will be here in fifteen minutes.” This voice was new. Smooth, but just a touch unsure.

“She’s iced pretty bad. I’m going to have to carry her out.”

“But…”

“I know you haven’t meditated with J’onn in a while. Just try. Hopefully you won’t need to.”

The other voice was silent.

The next thing Alex knew, she was moving. Strong arms wrapped around her legs and back. Her head rested against something hard. Not quite metal. A chest plate of some sort.

Alex groaned.

“Shit. Now is not the time to wake up, kid.”

But Alex couldn’t go back to sleep. Her ears were ringing and suddenly the world was loud. Was this how Kara felt?

Kara!

“My sister.” Alex muttered, finally opening her eyes.

She found herself looking up into a large metal mask, not unlike the one the CADMUS agent had been wearing. This one though, had one large eye slit instead of goggles and was a dull metallic silver. It was a mask she’d seen before, usually spliced next to a news anchor. It was the Guardian’s mask.

“Huh?” Guardian looked down but didn’t stop moving.

“My sister’s here too.”

“The other girl in my vision.” The other voice piped up and Alex turned to see a girl in a blue mask just ahead of them.

“If she’s here, J’onn will get her. Right now. We have to keep moving.” Guardian said.

They moved through the empty hall in silence until the girl asked.

“What’s your name?”

She was about Kara’s age, maybe younger. And her build was scrawny, even though her eyes were bright.

“Alex.” Her voice was still weak.

“Hi, Alex. I’m Nia.” The girl smiled.

Guardian coughed.

“Right.” The girl crossed her arms and held her chin high. “Dreamer. You can call me Dreamer.”

If Alex didn’t know better, she would’ve thought Guardian had just snickered.

The trio made an abrupt left turn into another empty hallway.

“Where are we going?”

“We’re getting you out of here.” Dreamer said.

“Kara. We have to get Kara.”

Dreamer frowned. “If she’s here, J’onn will get her.”

“We can’t risk getting captured.” Guardian broke in.

Alex’s head lolled back against Guardian’s chest plate. All of a sudden, she was tired. Way too tired. And cold.

She felt a shiver run up her spine.

“Kid?” It was Guardian again. “Open your eyes.”

Alex hadn’t even realized she’d closed them, but she did what he said. Her lids were heavy and the world had stopped ringing. Guardian’s voice seemed to be coming from far away.

“Tired.” God. She sounded like Kara.

“This is bad.” Guardian said. “Ice doesn’t do this. They’ve got to be using some alien. Something with mental powers.”

He wrapped his arm tighter around her, so that his hand fell on her chest.

“Her heart is slowing.”

“We have to find J’onn.” Dreamer’s voice was frantic.

“If she’s at physical symptoms, mental blocks might not help.”

“We have to try something!”

“Kara.” Alex whispered, her eyes closed once more.

* * *

Alex drifted in and out of consciousness as she was hauled through the facility. She couldn’t tell if they were moving left or right, fast or slow, loudly or quietly. All she knew was the world under her wasn’t steady.

Visions of light blonde hair streaked with gray and a dark brown curls danced across her closed eyes. Warm hands wrapped around her body and she imagined they came from the two familiar faces.

The faces smiled at her, just like they used to. Their eyes were alight with pride. Alex tried to hug them back but found her arms immobile.

Still, Alex wouldn’t be defeated. She tried and tried to hug them; it had been so long. And each time she did, their arms wrapped tighter around her.

“I love you.” She muttered, knowing her mouth couldn’t form the words. “I miss you.”

Just as Alex felt her toe wiggle, as the slack in her jaw gave way, the faces vanished, replaced by the sight of a dark-skinned man with short-cropped hair, and Alex knew her eyes were open.

“Alex Danvers.” He said. “My name is J’onn J’onzz.”

Alex turned her head. She was in what appeared to be a military vehicle with a low roof and plenty of seats along its sides. She was sitting in one, J’onn in another, and she noted how Guardian and Dreamer sat away from them.

Next to J’onn though was a soft, cherubic face.

“Kara?” She breathed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you thought.


	4. How We Got There

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long story short, my computer needed a battery replaced but in the process of transporting my computer for repair, my computer screen was broken, hence why I have been absent.
> 
> I did get some more work done on this story in the interim and I hope this chapter is satisfactory in making up for the extended period of time between posts. 
> 
> On a completely unrelated note, titling chapters is hard. 
> 
> As always, I hope you enjoy. Comments and kudos are greatly appreciated.

Her eyes were still blue. That’s what Alex kept telling herself. Her eyes were still blue, the same hue even. Then, why did they look so different? Her hair was… well, they’d shaved her head. That soft blonde hair was gone, replaced by patches of fuzz. And she sat… God, why did she look so calm?

Alex felt anything but calm. But Kara, the one who was always on edge, who would jump at every loud noise, sat with her shoulders relaxed and hands resting limply on her thighs.

The convoy jumped as it hit a rock and even Alex gasped. Kara remained still, hands frozen on her lap. There was no fidgeting, no ear covering, no eye avoidance; she just sat there staring into the wall.

“Kara?” Alex tried but even she could hear her voice was quaking.

Kara didn’t respond.

“What’s wrong with her?” Alex turned to J’onn.

J’onn sighed. “CADMUS was in the middle of a procedure.” He paused. “It’s a new kind, but we’re seeing it more and more. They put a chip, one of those Lexochips you’ve seen on the news, in her head.”

“But those are… Why would they…” Alex was beginning to feel like she was underwater.

“We don’t know how far they got with the procedure, but at the least she must be pretty traumatized.”

Alex gulped. “Then why isn’t she crying? Or screaming? Or something?”

Alex leaned forward, reached a hand across J’onn’s lap, and took Kara’s in her own.

Kara showed no sign that she noticed the contact.

“Kara,” Alex’s voice was gentle. “, It’s me. It’s Alex. You’re safe. You’re okay.”

Kara’s eyes were a million miles away. Her skin was clammy.

When it became clear that Kara wasn’t answering, Alex refocused on J’onn.

“Who are you?”

“I am J’onn J’onzz…”

“I know that. But who is that? What do you do?”

J’onn’s lips turned up in a halfhearted smile. “You are just like your mother.” He paused. “You look more like your father, though.”

Tears sprung to Alex’s eyes before she could stop them. This wasn’t supposed to happen. None of this was supposed to happen. Kara was supposed to be okay. They were supposed to be hiding out, keeping out of sight. Alex was supposed to keep her promise.

“You knew my parents?” Alex’s voice was watery.

“It’s impossible to work for the Underground without knowing me, but your parents were special. They were friends of Clark’s.”

Visions of green tinged veins popped before Alex’s eyes. She could see Clark now as clearly as the day she’d met him. His visit had been the day that everything had changed. It had been the day she’d gotten a sister and the day her parents’ fate had been sealed.

Clark Kent was a man who could lift a building into the air, her mother had said. Clark Kent was a good man, her father had said. But Clark Kent, hero, good man, had gotten her parents killed.

“What do you do for the Underground?” Alex swallowed; it was all she could do to keep her voice steady.

At this, J’onn cocked his head and his small smile disappeared. She saw it then, the flash in his warm brown eyes. Just for a passing moment they weren’t brown, but red. Red like Kara’s had been.

“I’m its leader.” He said.

* * *

They sat Kara down with a blanket- it was wool, Kara should have hated it- over her shoulders. Dreamer sat by her side as J’onn and Alex moved to a corner of the convoy.

“My name’s Nia.” Dreamer said. “You’ll be safe in Parthas. And I think you’ll like it there.

Kara watched as Alex conversed with J’onn. Her arms were flying everywhere and she frowned like she only did when Kara spoke of her parents. Her real parents.

“I saw you guys,” Nia continued, seemingly undisturbed by Kara’s lack of response. “, I get these… visions. I dream stuff that’s going to happen. Prophetic dreaming they call it. The women of my people can do it sometimes.”

Kara continued to stare at Alex and J’onn’s discussion.

“I’m Naltorian. Or half-Naltorian. My mom’s one. My dad’s human. My sister, Maeve, and I are both.”

Alex had stopped waving her arms around and now held them close to her chest like she’d been hit.

“We only got here about a year and a half ago, when the government found out my mom’s an alien. I was really scared but it’s so much better down there than hiding up here.” Dreamer paused. “So, uh, what kind of alien are you?”

Kara opened her mouth. She knew the answer to this one. She just had to collect her thoughts…

“Maybe stop yapping her head off, Dreamer.” Guardian had removed his mask to reveal the kind of face suited more for broadcast than fighting.

Nia stuck her tongue out at him.

“Just introducing myself. You ought to try it with the people you save. It builds a rapport.”

Kara opened her mouth again. She didn’t mind Nia’s talking. It had been too long since she’d had someone to talk to besides Alex. And those were conversations she didn’t want to think about.

She twitched as a buzzing reverberated through her skull. Her hands were on her ears as her whole head seemed to quake, but that only made the buzzing louder.

“Ow. Ow. Ow.” She repeated, knowing that was what you said when you were hurt.

Alex came running like she always did, nearly got knocked off her feet as the vehicle made a sharp turn.

“Kara?” Her hands were on Kara’s. “It’s okay. I’m here. You’re okay. What hurts?”

Kara wanted to respond. She really did. But something in her head told her not to. It was too hard. It was too much. She needed to relax. She needed to listen.

The buzzing disappeared and Kara’s voice with it.

Alex swung her head around. “What is wrong with her?” She snarled at J’onn.

J’onn shook his head. “We won’t know until our doctors can take a look at her.”

“Could you just phase in and short-circuit the chip?” Guardian offered.

“Not unless I want to fry her brain right along with it.”

“Oh my god. Oh my god.” Alex was sitting again, back against the wall. Her breath came quick and heavy.

“Hey.” Nia’s hand was on her shoulder. “It’ll be okay. We have great doctors and they’re used to treating aliens.”

“The only danger will be if we can’t get the chip out before her powers completely manifest.” J’onn’s voice was cold, strategic.

“Excuse me?” Alex’s heart jumped in her chest.

“The last experts on Kryptonian biology were your parents. But I do know that once her powers come in…”

“The chip will be permanently lodged in her head.” Alex finished.

“Wait,” Nia’s eyes were wide. “, Kryptonian? Like… from Krypton?”

Alex nodded.

She watched as Nia crept back to the seat next to Kara. Her first impression of the girl had been right; she was younger than Kara. Her eyes bright and suit, a stylish blue and silver, just slightly baggy, like it wasn’t quite made for her. She stood out from the rest of the group; the only one not dressed in black or grey.

Nia looked down at her hands in her lap, before biting her lip. Then, she glanced up at Kara.

And muttered something entirely unintelligible.

But for a moment following its utterance, Kara’s eyes opened wide. Bright with recognition. It was smothered all too quickly.

But still Kara reached out a hand, not towards Nia, but towards Alex.

“Ie.” She said, her voice carrying none of its usual trill.

That word Alex recognized.

She rushed to Kara’s side and took the girl’s hand once more.

“That’s right, Kara. Ie. It’s Alex.”

Kara nodded. Slow and steady.

“You just need to hang on a little longer.” Alex squeezed Kara’s hand. “We’re almost there.”

She turned to J’onn.

“We are almost there, right?”

Before J’onn could answer, one of the drivers called out. “J’onn, we need you.”

J’onn nodded before approaching the side of the van. With a deep breath, he placed his hands against its side.

“What are you doing?” Alex asked.

“I’m taking us to the Underground.”

Alex almost spoke. She almost got a full word out of her mouth before it hit her. A wave of… not nausea, something lighter, something that caused her to look down, just to check that her feet were still there, still working. She turned toward J’onn, but he looked the same. He was hardly moving, but his teeth were gritted, his eyes closed.

Kara looked a bit green.

Alex looked up, hoping that someone would explain. That’s when she saw it. The wall. That they were headed straight for. Without a second thought, She threw herself over Kara and braced for impact.

This was it. This was going to be it. A year of running around National City with Kara in tow. A year of living on the streets. A year of taking care of an honest to goodness alien. A year of making up for her parents’ deaths all for nothing. All to die in a stupid accident with the people who were supposed to keep her safe. Warm tears hit her cheeks and dribbled down onto Kara’s head.

Kara didn’t even react.

But Alex did when a hand was suddenly on her back. She whipped her arm around on instinct, but met nothing but air.

“Alex, open your eyes.” It was J’onn’s voice.

Alex shook her head.

They were going to crash. They were going to die. It was finally going to be over.

And then Kara started whimpering.

Alex sighed. Fine. Just for laughs. Just for kicks. Just for Kara, she could do this. She opened her eyes.

“Are you okay?” She asked without removing herself from on top of Kara.

Kara gave a muffled nod.

Finally, Alex released her. She turned to face the front of the vehicle. The wall was gone. So was the road. So was National City.

Splayed out in front of her was a warehouse size compound with brick running up rounded walls. There were other vehicles parked all around them. Vans and bikes. Hoverboards. A few military-grade vehicles. All were parked in lines, like it was a military base or something equally as structured.

And yet there were people everywhere, just crawling around with no discernable tasks at hand. They paid the new vehicle no mind and continued walking through the compound, bags in hands and children under feet.

“Welcome to Parthas.” Nia smiled.


	5. How Times Change

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we see something of a transition. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy.

He pushed a breath out of his lungs, knowing it was entirely unnecessary. The need to breath had long been stolen from him and while some might have been glad to have one less bodily function to worry about, Querl Dox was not.

He huffed in another precious breath and smiled as the coolness filled his throat. They’d turned the air on today and even in his bubble, the difference could be felt.

A current of electricity ran above his head, snaking its way around the ceiling before dropping down behind Querl. From there, it pierced the metal cage and ran straight through until it hit Querl’s suspended leg. Finally, it circled his leg, twisting its way up until it composed a work of post-modern art, an electric suit that Querl wore unfortunately well.

This was not the only kind of costuming CADMUS had provided him with. Wires played like rings around his fingers, squeezing them until his teal flesh had turned dark blue, and then dropped to the ground, into hidden chambers under his own.

In his thirteen years, Querl Dox had not left this room once, but those wires, wherever they went, were his door to the outside world. When the currents rose each morning, his eyes closed and opened everywhere in National City. From the streets of Metropolis to Governor’s Hill, Querl could see everything. The only place where he was mysteriously blind was in the Glades. He had heard, though, that was to be fixed soon. Permanently.

* * *

Three Months Later

Alex set her pack down against a stack of crates and began undoing her belt. The buckle took both of her hands to undo as she struggled to keep it above her waist. Her holster clattered against her thigh and she could already feel a bruise forming. Deft hands undid her boots and slipped them into her pack. Getting her vest off went much the same as the belt, with the clips so much bigger than her wiry hands.

J'onn would be displeased if he saw her like this, which was why she was hidden behind these crates and not in the makeshift locker room. She could meet everyone else at the debriefing.

"Hi, Alex."

She swirled around.

"Sorry. Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you." Nia apologized.

"It's fine." Alex let out a breath. People did not sneak up on her. She snuck up on them. Anything different would have gotten her and Kara killed. Had nearly gotten them killed. "Where's Kara?"

Nia shrugged. "She might be with Winn."

"Might?" Alex felt her jaw clench.

"Yeah," Nia was giving her a look. ", She kind of roams around here during the day but I know she likes Winn."

Alex bit her lip. She didn't know quite what she thought Kara did all day, but "roaming around" was not it. Kara was delicate. Made of steel, yes, but she'd seen things no one else had seen, been through things no one else could even imagine.

She needed a hand to guide her and Alex had promised...

"She can't be left alone." Alex heard herself say. "Especially not now."

There was that look again, all bent eyebrows and sharp eyes. Like she was trying too hard to concentrate on what was right in front of her.

"She's not alone. There's a ton of people around here and like I said..."

"She's probably with Winn. Right. Where is he?"

Nia gestured towards the tunnel. "By the computers."

As it turned out, "the computers" were really just two older models placed side-by-side just inches above the dirty floor. Their wires ran down into the ground, through a hastily cut hole.

"Kara?"

A blonde head popped up from behind the screen. Kara's hair had filled in nicely in the time they'd been here and now covered her head in an overgrown buzzcut. Her eyes, however, were still ringed with shadow even though Alex knew she slept far more now than she had since landing on Earth. The blue in her eyes had also receded; where once it was bright and full, now it hardly seemed to fill the iris and circled the pupil in lazy swoops.

She didn't speak when she saw Alex, just nodded.

A cough broke the girls from their trance.

"Winn." Alex acknowledged.

"Hi, Alex." He looked at the ground, a blush on his cheeks.

A hint of a smile twisted up Kara's own.

"What were you two doing?"

"Oh, well, I figured out a way to reconfigure the OS's to work with some old..."

"I was asking Kara."

With her eyes on Alex's still half-undone tactical vest, Kara replied. "We were playing video games."

Alex nodded. That was different, though with her newly lighting fast reflexes, Kara was probably pretty good.

"We're going to keep playing video games." Kara's voice was definite.

"You've got a medical..." Before Alex could finish, there was a gust of wind and Kara was standing an inch from her face.

Alex found herself looking up to Kara.

"We're going to keep playing video games." Her voice was stone cold.

Kara lifted her hand slightly and Alex flinched.

Whether it was her newfound height or the fact that her short hair demolished her cherubic image, Kara could tell that Alex was seeing her for the very first time. Not as a little sister or as a charge, but as an alien. One who could turn her to ash in the blink of an eye.

"Fine." Alex finally said. "But no violent games."

"Ha! I wish..." Winn started, but Alex was already gone. "Oh. She's fun."

Kara had turned back to the game. "No, she's not."

* * *

“Where have you been?” J’onn crossed his arms as Alex approached.

“Checking on Kara.” Alex grunted.

J’onn raised an eyebrow. Alex sighed. She hadn’t meant to be snippy. She was just frustrated. For over a year, she and Kara had been inseparable, and through all of that time Alex had been in charge. She’d been the leader, the bodyguard, and Kara her charge.

But now they were safe. Now they weren’t alone. And suddenly Alex was a soldier returned home. Restless. Uncertain of her place. She’d joined the resistance immediately.

Three months of working under J’onn, who was a leader in a way that Alex could only dream of. She ran missions across the city, helping alien after alien find their way to the Underground. Sometimes she worked with James, the Guardian, and sometimes it was just her and the grunts. It didn’t matter to Alex; as long as she was helping all was good.

Well, not all. There was still Kara.

Kara and the chip still lodged somewhere in her head; deemed too dangerous to be removed, it sat hopefully inert. But even if it was there was still Kara, who now had way too much time on her hands for Alex’s taste. Way too much time and way too many powers.

“And how is Kara?” J’onn asked, quite literally reading Alex’s mind.

“She’s the same. Playing video games with Winn.”

“We could enroll her in school, you know. Isabel Nal is a wonderful woman. I’m sure she would take good care of Kara.”

Alex bristled at the thought of Kara in school. The girl had learned calculus at the age of four. She’d be bored out of her mind learning math or science. And she showed zero patience for the humanities. Besides, Alex wasn’t sure she could make Kara do anything anymore.

“It’s fine.”

Now it was J’onn’s turn to sigh. “Alex, maybe you want to take some time off.”

“What?”

J’onn nodded to a nearby chair. And when Alex didn’t move, took a seat himself.

“You are fifteen years old, Alex.”

“So? Nia’s twelve and she gets to go on missions.”

J’onn shook his head. “But not all the time. And even then it’s only because of her powers that I allow her to go on any sort of mission.”

“So this is because I don’t have powers?” Alex crossed her arms.

“Of course not, but…”

“Send Kara then, if you want someone with powers.” Alex’s voice rose. “If I’m not good enough. She might as well do _something_ besides sit around and play video games.”

“Alex…”

“No, I get it. Why get a human to do a Kryptonian’s job?” Alex was on a roll. Yet even as she spoke, as her voice rose higher and higher, the pit in her chest grew deeper. But still she couldn’t stop herself.

“Oh that’s right, because the Kryptonian can’t do anything without supervision.” She should stop. “She can’t do anything by herself. She always needs a babysitter. She can’t even control her powers. She could never save anyone!”

“Alex!” Alex froze. J’onn’s voice was louder than she’d ever heard it, but more than that it was tinged with something. It was deeper. Throatier. Inhuman.

She turned to face him once again and saw that same flash of red across his eyes she’d seen in the convoy.

J’onn was standing again before Alex could react.

“You’re suspended from missions. Indefinitely.” He turned.

“What? You can’t do that!” But J’onn was already far away. He hadn’t even heard her.

But Kara had. Her fists clenched around the small controller in her hand and soon enough there was a crack.

Winn looked over. “Whoa. Are you okay?”

Kara’s speech had departed her. She nodded but sure enough there was another crack and the controller had all but disintegrated in her hands.

She opened her mouth to say something, to say anything, but before she could there was a crackle, like a broadcast had been left on. She turned wide-eyed to Winn, but he was still looking at her with a worried frown.

He hadn’t heard the crackle.

Then there was only one place it could be coming from. Her own head.

* * *

Querl Dox waited patiently as the drilling went on and on. His eyes had not yet been turned on and so he was still blind. His ears, however, were in perfect condition and caught the words of one of his caretakers just before the drilling began.

“Only a few hours more and the chips will be fully online.”


	6. When There's A Call

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who's excited for the new season to start tonight? I am very excited. I've been having a bit of writer's block so I'm hoping it helps to inspire me.

Typically, the Underground tried to keep families together and would place them in adjacent cots. If that was not an option, refugees would be grouped by species to at least keep some semblance of familiarity. Unfortunately, neither was an option for Kara and Alex. The result: a cramped space in the corner by the Nal’s residence.

Strictly speaking, it was only marginally more comfortable than the streets of National City and infinitely more cramped. But it was a bed, or something close to it, and that was a luxury both girls were grateful for.

Kara was on her assigned cot when Alex returned from her meeting with J’onn.

“I’ve been benched.” Alex flopped down next to Kara. Kara stared off staring off into the middle distance. “That means…”

“I know what that means. I’m not stupid.”

“Okay. Never said you were.

“Good, because I’m not.” Kara said, voice clipped. She turned over on her side, facing away from Alex. She brought her knees up to her chest and ran a hair through her shaggy blonde hair.

Alex stood to leave; there was no use trying to talk to Kara when she was like this. She didn’t want to talk so neither did Alex. She was already several feet from the cot when Kara piped up.

“I need the sun.”

“Hmm?” Alex turned.

Kara was sitting upright, blue irises piercing against her dilated pupils. She pointed to her head.

“Hair growth has decreased by four percent over the last month. I need the sun.”

There were many things Alex wanted to say to that, many different ways she wanted to tell Kara that what she’d just said made absolutely no sense and that she should go back to playing video games with Winn and not worry about how long her hair was. What came out of her mouth was none of that.

“I’ll talk to J’onn about it.” She relented.

But Kara wasn’t satisfied with that.

“And then we can go on missions.”

“Kara,” She slid back onto the cot. “We can’t do that. I just told you I’m banned from missions.”

“No, you said you were benched.”

Alex fought the urge to pinch the bridge of her nose. “That’s what being benched means.”

“Then I’ll go. I can help. I want to help.”

Alex shook her head.

“Why?” Kara’s hands were balled into fists.

Kara wouldn’t do anything with those fists, at least not intentionally; Alex knew that. But there was still the fear, the primordial reaction. She backed away, just half an inch but enough that Kara could see.

Her brows dropped and her eyes darted to Alex’s hands that were no longer behind her back, holding her upright but by her chest in loose fists. Her heart thumped out a rhythm that would’ve made a rabbit worry.

“Why are you scared?” Her voice was sharp, but beneath it there was something else, a croak of confusion.

Alex took a deep breath. “I’m sorry. I’m not. I’m just… I’m just confused. I didn’t know you wanted to help.”

Kara looked dubious, but nodded.

“It’s just that you’ve never mentioned it before.”

Kara’s eyes fluttered to the ground. “I did what you said.”

It was true. Kara followed Alex around with hardly a word out of place. She performed the routine to a T. Now that routine was gone and no one was giving Kara new instructions.

“I made a promise, Kara, to my parents. I’m supposed to keep you safe.”

“Safe.” Kara repeated.

“Yeah, safe. I have to keep that promise.”

“But I’m stronger than you. I can keep you safe.”

“Kara…”

But Kara was already on the move. She paced back and forth as no more than a blur to Alex’s very human eyes. Suddenly she stopped, her eyes fixated on Alex.

“You don’t want me playing games with Winn. Good. I don’t want to. I want to help. I have powers and I want to help.”

“Kara,” Alex was struggling to keep her voice level. “You need to take this up with J’onn. Not me.”

Kara was gone before Alex could say another word and back before she could let out another breath.

“He said no.”

Alex gulped. Damn super speed.

But Kara didn’t sound angry. She didn’t sound anything really.

Alex crossed over to stand in front of her. She reached out a hand and placed it on Kara’s shoulder.

“I’m sorry.”

Kara nodded her acknowledgment.

“Maybe I could, I don’t know, play games with you and Winn tomorrow. Or maybe we’ll both finally go to Mrs. Nal’s classes.”

Kara nodded again.

Alex noted how people were starting to file in. A few were already in their cots.

“Why don’t you get some sleep?”

* * *

It was different at night. It was like before. Before Earth but after Krypton. When everything was dark and she was half asleep.

Silence. So quiet that it rung.

Kara covered her ears, but even her incredible strength couldn't block out everything. She tossed and turned on her cot, but with each roll it was like she could feel the chip rattling around in her head.

"Shut up." She groaned. "Shut up. Shut up. Shut up."

"Shut up yourself." Nia's voice slipped through the darkness.

"Nia?"

"The one and only." Kara could tell she was smiling. "I saw you tossing and turning."

"In the dark?"

"In my dreams."

Kara sat up.

"How do you do that?"

The cot sagged as Nia took a seat.

"The women of my species, Naltorians, we can sometimes dream the future."

"Just like that?"

"Just like that."

"Wow."

"Wow indeed." Nia bumped Kara's shoulder. And then grimaced in pain.

There was silence as the two girls sat, but, unlike before, it didn't ring in Kara's ears. In fact, everything had gone soft. The up and down of everyone's collective breath was just a sigh a thousand miles away. And Kara was anything but half asleep.

"I didn't have powers on Krypton." The words fell from her mouth, almost like they were in her native tongue. "I was normal there."

Nia frowned. She opened her mouth, but Kara continued.

"I mean... I was not normal. But I fit in." Kara's voice broke. "I was acceptable."

The tears were there, Kara could feel them brimming at the corners of her eyes, but there was something... It was on the tip of her tongue. Something that said no, be happy. Be happy.

And the tears receded. Obedient to a fault.

But Kara didn't want to be happy. She hadn't been happy since long before her parents had put her on a ship destined for this godforsaken planet. Why should she start now?

There was the ringing again. But it was different, not born of silence. It was...

Kara grabbed her ears and when that did nothing, clenched her hands into fists. One. Two. She slammed fist against skull hoping to knock something, anything, loose.

"Kara!" She heard Nia cry. "Kara please stop. You're going to hurt yourself."

But Kara didn't stop. Her head was ringing and she hated it.

She was vaguely aware of a hand on her shoulder and another looping its way around her left hand. With barely a pull, she broke free and heard grunts mixed in with the ringing.

"Kara." That wasn't Nia. "Kara, you need to stop."

Kara shook her head. No. No. No. She was tired of being told what to do.

Alex wanted her to do this. J’onn wouldn’t let her do that. She just wanted to help. That’s when she heard it. Just beyond the static there was a word. The same one she’d been thinking repeated over and over again.

Help.

Help.

But instead of the anger, the desperation she felt, this voice was cracking, not with static but with sadness. It did not want to help. It wanted to be helped.

Kara tried to make sense of what she was hearing, there were more words now, a name, a place, but the ringing was too much.

Her fist hit her head again. And again. And again. But the ringing continued. It was louder even.

And then there was a crack.

And a gasp.

"Get J'onn. Get James. Get anyone." Alex gasped herself.

Kara's head hurt.

Her hands fell to the ground as the ringing receded, replaced by static.

Her mouth opened but no words came out.

Not now, she thought. No. No. No. Not now.

Because she needed to tell someone about it, about what had come through the static, soft yet so obviously there.

A call for help.

* * *

Kara allowed herself to be poked and prodded. She had to go nearly limp to allow Dr. Hamilton to do anything. If she put up even the slightest resistance, it was likely Dr. Hamilton would break her arm from the ensuing collision. Kara, of course, would feel nothing.

Unfortunately, this same invulnerability was the cause of their problem tonight. There was no way to perform any tests on Kara. It had only taken one broken needle to assure them that her skin was as strong as ever. At this point, an x-ray had been the only procedure the doctor had been capable of performing, but that had only taken them so far.

The x-ray hung just above the Underground’s impromptu operating table. The skull it showed looked much like a human’s but thicker, almost layered. And it was a good thing too that Kryptonians were literally thick skulled otherwise, Dr. Hamilton said, Kara may well have bashed her own brains in. Instead, there were a few scrapes at the skin level, but any cracks or dents seemed to have been CADMUS’s doing not Kara’s.

“Can I go?” Kara asked when Dr. Hamilton finally pulled her flashlight out of Kara’s eyes.

“You don’t appear to have a concussion.” Dr. Hamilton made a note on her clipboard.

“That’s good.” J’onn nodded without taking his eyes off Kara. Alex stood by his side.

“But we still need to know why you were trying to punch a hole through your head.”

Kara sighed. “I wasn’t trying to.”

“Then what were you trying to do, Kara?” Alex’s voice was soft, her eyes on the soft purple splattering the right side of Kara’s head.

Kara thought for a moment. She could tell them about the voice, about the call for help. But they didn’t want her to help. They had made it all too clear that she was to stay here and wait, that she should waste her time.

She had only known Kal for a short amount of time, but he had told her about the help he could provide, about his miraculous powers. She had hardly believed him, Earth made her feel so weak, so disoriented. It was too loud. It was too bright. It was the opposite of the Phantom Zone, but she felt equally paralyzed in its grasp.

But then her powers had started to come in. Strength and speed. Lasers that came from her eyes and frost that came from her breath. It was unreal but for the fact that she had seen it all herself.

She was supposed to help Kal, then she couldn’t help anyone. And now that she could, no one was letting her.

She couldn’t tell them about the voice.

“Everything was loud.” She finally said.

Alex’s gaze softened but J’onn looked as stone-faced as ever.

Alex turned to J’onn. “She has trouble at night. It’s too quiet and she hears every little move. Drives her crazy.”

Wrong, Kara thought. But Alex didn’t know about the Phantom Zone, about the quiet of space. She couldn’t understand and Kara wasn’t willing to tell. She couldn’t give them one more reason to see her as damaged goods.

J’onn seemed satisfied with Alex’s explanation and nodded. “Next time,” He bent down so that Kara could stare directly into his dark eyes. “Get Alex or me, so we can get you headphones or something to help with the noise.”

Kara nodded stiffly.

“Okay.”

J’onn turned back to Dr. Hamilton. “As far as we can tell, the chip is still in place?”

“Yep. She didn’t knock it at all during her episode.”

“And can we tell if it is transmitting?”

“We’d need to be able to examine it and right now we can’t even get it on the x-ray.”

“Next mission to one of the operating centers, we’ll try and grab one. Now that the final installation date is almost passed, I’m expecting we’ll start to see the effects.”

“What kind of effects?” Alex piped up.

J’onn’s face was like stone. “We don’t know.”

Alex glanced at Kara. Her eyes were full of worry. Kara hated it.

“I feel fine.” She said a little too loudly.

J’onn gave her a dubious look.

“Well, except for the noise.”

He turned to Alex. “We’ll monitor her. Anything odd and we’ll investigate further. We will find a way to get it out.”

Kara smiled, big and fake, as the adults turned back to the x-ray.

Not yet. She thought. Not until I find out who needs my help.


	7. How Things Go

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have returned! Work was kind of crazy and I was working on a bunch of other writing projects. With that said, those projects weren't prose, so this chapter might be slightly rough just because I haven't written prose in a few months. 
> 
> I also make no promises about regular updates (but I'll try my best). Know I am still very invested in this story though. 
> 
> Thanks for reading and sticking with me.

Kara moved her hands down the wall. It was lead-lined; she had no idea what was on the other side. That didn’t matter though; Nia said this was their way out. She followed the one imperfection, a subtle crack probably only visible to Kryptonian eyes, down to its end.

She nodded to Nia.

“Are you sure we should be doing this?” Nia asked.

“You dreamed it was going to happen, right?”

“You know that’s not how it works.”

In the back of her head, Kara could feel it. The voice had not stopped since she’d first heard his message two days ago. It continued to cry for help, over and over again, but yesterday there was something more, a name… and a location.

Help. Querl Dox. Help. The voice repeated. L-Corp. L-Corp.

“Someone needs our help. We’re heroes. This is what we do.”

Nia didn’t seem convinced. “I just think that maybe J’onn or Alex or James…”

“No,” Kara snapped. The blue in her eyes had receded, overtaken by a thin halo of red. “They would never let us do this.”

Nia sighed and turned around. “Maybe there’s a reason for that.” She muttered.

“I can still hear you.”

“Whatever, just get ready. I don’t know how long I can keep the force field up.”

Kara nodded and turned back to the wall. She closed her hand into a fist and bit her lip in concentration. By her side, Nia was concentrating just as hard. She held her hands in the air, palms out, and concentrated on her family. On her mother. On her father. On Maeve. On her grandmother, whose suit she wore. She closed her eyes.

And suddenly there was a crackle of energy.

“Whoa.” She heard Kara whisper.

Only then did she dare open her eyes. The two girls were enclosed in a cage of blue dream energy that ran in a semi-circle; its other side the wall that would take them to the outside.

Nia waited a beat, but there was no punching. She turned. Kara was just staring, completely enamored by the pulsing light.

“Kara!”

“Right, sorry.”

“You need to hurry. Otherwise the whole Underground is going to hear us.”

Kara nodded and turned back to the wall. She took a deep breath and wound up her punch.

“Super strength don’t fail me now.” She whispered.

* * *

The power was weaker today, Querl noticed. It buzzed, sure, but it didn’t emanate quite the warmth it usually did. It was pleasant, at least for the part of him that remained in the L-Corp sub-cellar. For his eyes, it was hell.

The streets of National City, from Metropolis to Governor’s Hill, were blurry. A pixelated gray fog had been cast over every inch, leaving Querl not so much blind as heavily impaired.

There was little chatter in his room today. His caretakers could be heard flipping through the pages of some book, and so Querl was left entirely unsure why he did not have full access to the city. That was, after all, his precise function here at L-Corp.

He was well aware that the eyes that allowed him to see everything and everyone were not the ones he had been born with. They were implants, gifts from Mr. Lex Luthor as one caretaker had put it. Still, he had no others and after years and years, these felt like his own.

And god did they hurt like they were his own. He could not squint, but every time a camera adjusted, trying desperately to improve the quality of its picture, it felt like squinting. And right now every single camera in the city was squinting, holding out one elongated breath.

If Querl could have screamed, he would have, for the pressure was building at his temples and threatening to ripple through his skull. A headache, the humans called it.

Querl needed a distraction, or an aspirin.

He received the former as a bang rang out through the room. It was one Querl recognized as the opening of the sub-cellar door. If he still had the capacity to move his face, he would have furrowed his brow. All of his caretakers were already here and the next shift would not arrive for three hours more.

He could hear his caretakers scrambling up from their seats, but he did not detect any steps into the room from this guest. He waited, trying his best not to let the headache disrupt his systems further. He could not risk it halting the message he was sending out through the chips.

Finally, one caretaker called out. “Ms. Luthor?”

And finally Querl heard steps being taken. They were small, dainty even, and they stopped just before him.

“What the hell is this?” A high-pitched voice asked, full of disgust.

“Ms. Luthor, we didn’t…” One caretaker rushed to say.

“There are at least three channels that need reconnecting and you idiots were sitting around loafing. God, am I the only competent one here with mother and Lex out of town?”

The dainty footsteps filled the room again, followed by the click of keys and the buzz of electricity. Querl’s headache receded immediately and in a blink, his eyesight had returned to utter perfection. This included his eyesight in the sub-cellar itself.

A young girl stood before him. Her pitch-black hair pulled back into a bun and a scowl beyond her years contorted her otherwise cherubic face. She glared at him.

“Ms. Luthor, we are so sorry. There were no odd readings.”

“Save it.” Lena shook her head. “It’s fixed. Now get back to doing your jobs. I have work to do. The Lexochips aren’t going to tune their frequencies themselves.”

There was another bang as Lena Luthor exited the room, leaving Querl alone with his caretakers once again.

“Brat.” One of the caretakers muttered as they both returned to their seats.

Meanwhile, Querl was focusing on the frequency of the Lexochips. He could still hear them loud and clear, a soft bubble of noise in the back of his head. He didn’t know how a sound could be, but it was sweet. It was fuzzy and warm, comforting. The noise did not cause him a headache, even though it was constant but if he concentrated on it for too long, his mind grew fuzzy. Memories did not quite hold up and he found his mind wandering from place to place and thought to thought.

This was why he had sectioned off- quarantined it really- a part of his vast mind to send out his message of help. That part, he felt it warping, softening, turning sweet and docile and to mush, but still it continued to push his message forward.

He only hoped there was someone who could still receive it.


	8. Where They Went

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for how long it took for this chapter to be written. First, I was busy at work, then there was a global pandemic, and then I just didn't have the energy to do all of the world building that this story required.

Alex was this close to signing up for school. She hadn’t been to any kind of school in over a year, let alone a makeshift one where she’d be sitting amongst everyone from kindergarteners to people her actual age. She was in no rush to get back to math problems and writing essays, let alone any of the potential science curriculum Mrs. Nal had cooked up. That had been boring even when she’d been in real school.

Her parents had already started her off on an advanced homebrewed science curriculum that taught her the foundational aspects of xenobiology along with more advanced aspects of chemistry, physics and earth science before all of this had started. In their words, “We send you to school because it’s the law, but the only place you’ll get a real education is at home.”

Honestly, it was probably for the best, because even though her parents couldn’t possibly have seen this scenario coming- they couldn’t have right? –they had actually prepared her for some of the odder parts of taking care of Kara over the past year. Not to mention, she now had actual skills to offer the Underground. Not that J’onn was going to let her use them now. He was adamant that she had been through a lot and needed a break.

A break, however, was not what Alex Danvers wanted.

“Ugh.” She groaned as she lay on her cot. No one was around. The kids were in school and the adults were trying their bests to make themselves useful. Even Kara had run off to play with Winn.

“I can’t believe I’m even considering this.” Alex said to herself as she slid onto her feet.

She found Winn playing video games, as was typical. Alex had no idea where the kid’s parents were, but they certainly hadn’t tried sending him to school. Whatever. It wasn’t Alex’s problem and it gave Kara a friend.

“Hey, Winn.”

Winn nearly jumped five feet in the air.

“Alex!” He cried breathlessly and was immediately on his feet, straightening out his shirt. “I didn’t see you there.”

Alex rolled her eyes.

“Where’s Kara?”

Winn raised an eyebrow. “I thought she was with you.”

“Excuse me?”

“She mentioned yesterday you had been taken off missions and she didn’t show up to play today, so I just assumed…”

“You haven’t seen her all day?” Alex heard her voice rise.

“No. I mean, it’s not that weird, right? It is Kara.” Winn stammered, but Alex had already turned and was stalking away. “Alex?”

Alex ignored him.

* * *

Kara had handed off the lead to Nia almost immediately when they’d reached the surface. The sun was shining bright, they were surrounded by outdated machinery, and it had become clear very quickly that Kara had absolutely no idea where they were.

“This is still National City?” Kara had asked.

Nia nodded. “Yep. Not that anyone really uses the dock anymore. Hard to since the dome went up.”

“But supplies?”

“L-Corp provides for all.” Nia had said bitterly.

They’d walked in silence since then, having passed through the Glades, where they’d been lucky enough to find an only slightly too big trench coat to cover up Nia’s suit. Thankfully, it was still nippy outside, so they got no odd looks.

Actually, they hardly got any looks at all.

The Glades wasn’t exactly the kind of place where people had friendly conversations on the streets, but the people they did pass hadn’t even given them the time of day. They walked purposefully, in measured steps, and eyes focused straight ahead of them.

“This is weird.” Kara said, after an old woman had nearly knocked into her. Kara had moved out of the way in the knick of time, but the woman kept plowing on forward, like she hadn’t even seen Kara. “Something’s up.”

“I’d say we’re lucky, but I think you’re right.”

The two girls came upon a boarded up building. There were a few men around it and a few more coming down the block with toolboxes. The men by the building stood stark still, shoulders back and heads held high like they were waiting for military inspection. They didn’t speak and if Kara hadn’t been able to hear their heartbeats and breath, she would’ve thought they were robots.

It was only when the men with toolboxes finally made it to the building that they all relaxed.

“Got all of the supplies, Johnny?” A blonde man smiled.

Kara cocked her head. There was something strange about the man’s voice. It wasn’t an accent or a speech impediment. His inflection was odd, just a bit too energetic for what he was saying, but that wasn’t it either. Kara couldn’t put her finger on it.

“Does he sound weird to you?” Kara whispered.

“If by weird you mean way too enthusiastic about fixing up an old building, then yes.”

Kara shook her head. “No, it’s something else.”

“We sure do.” Johnny responded, equally as enthused as his compatriot. “Can’t wait to fix this place up.”

“Me too.” All of the other men said in perfect unison.

And that was when Kara heard it. Just below the surface and hidden under unbridled enthusiasm, there was static. It was soft, almost like humming, and each time the men spoke it emanated from their mouths, like it would a speaker.

But that didn’t make sense.

Quickly, Kara scanned them with her x-ray vision. These men were made of flesh and bone. There shouldn’t be static coming from within them. But then Kara raised her gaze, and she could see it.

In each and every one of their heads was a small metal chip, not dissimilar to the one within her own.

Her eyes went wide. “We need to go.” She said, taking Nia’s hand.

Nia let Kara lead her down the block, past the men, who didn’t even turn to acknowledge the passerby. Before they turned the corner, though, Kara and Nia heard the men yell out one more thing, once again in unison.

“In honor of Governor Luthor!” They cried before Johnny bashed the boarded up door in.

* * *

“J’onn’s out on a mission, Alex.” James set his Guardian helmet down on the workbench.

“I need to talk to him.”

“Then you’ll have to wait until he gets back.”

James was utterly too calm for Alex’s liking. Normally, she appreciated how professional he was. Cool. Calm. And ready to take on anything. That was an asset in the field. But right now they weren’t in the field. They were home, where they were supposed to be safe, but obviously weren’t because…

“Kara is missing.” Alex cried.

“Have you checked with…”

“Winn? Yes. He said he hasn’t seen her all day.”

“What about Mrs. Nal? Maybe Kara decided to join school.”

Alex gave James a look.

“Okay. What about the library or with Dr. Hamilton? Maybe she’s getting checked out.”

“Checked and checked.” Alex was this close to throwing something. “She’s not here.”

“You’ve checked with Nia?”

“I thought she was on a mission.”

James shook his head. “This was not the kind of mission you send a twelve year old on. Powered or not.”

Alex’s brow furrowed. “I haven’t seen her either.”

“I saw her heading towards where we park the vans this morning. Maybe she’s still there?”

Alex leaned back against the workbench. She could feel the tears brimming. This was so typical. She’d gotten a little reprieve. Three months of just existing here, going on missions, and finally feeling like she belonged, but nothing ever stayed all right for long. Not in this world.

“Hey.” James stood and wrapped his arms around her. “I’ll come with you, if you want?”

Alex nodded. She felt like a child as James held her close. He wasn’t that much older than her, barely an adult himself, but all the same she hadn’t been swept into an all-encompassing hug since her dad had been around.

“Okay.” James’s voice was calm, as always, except now Alex appreciated it. “We’ll find them. I’m sure they’re just being stupid and hanging out by the vans, probably playing hide-and-seek or something.”

Alex almost believed him.

* * *

The girls ducked into a burnt out building a few blocks from where they’d seen the men. The structure itself seemed sound enough, but it stank of chemicals and urine. In many ways, it was a quintessential Glades building. Left to rot.

“So you, what, think they’re robots?” Nia asked. She’d positioned herself on a nest of newspapers that must have been leftover from some squatter.

“No.” Kara shook her head. “I don’t understand it all entirely, but it’s the chips. There’s no other reason there would be static coming from those men.”

Nia thought for a moment.

“Our intel said the chips wouldn’t be turned on for another two weeks.”

“Obviously, our intel was wrong.”

Kara ran a hand through her hair. This was bad. This was really bad. This whole time she hadn’t given much thought to what the chips were for. They were a nuisance, obviously, but they were also sending out a cry for help. And she’d sort of assumed that if they were meant to short circuit her brain or something, they’d be like every other human instrument and not work on her.

But if the chip was broadcasting into those men’s brains and her’s was also broadcasting then who was to say it wasn’t a matter of time before she was doing things for the honor of Lex Luthor too?

Nia seemed to pick up on her train of thought.

“What about you? Do you hear anything? I mean, besides our cry for help.”

Kara listened. She really truly did. She closed her eyes and held her breath and listened. She could still hear it, the voice. It’s message continued on loop, but there was something else, something louder.

It was a little like the static she’d detected coming from those men, a bit like humming, but softer, sweeter. It was almost a tune. Her brow furrowed as she tried to follow it, to keep up. But it was like nothing she’d ever heard before. It wasn’t earthly or Kryptonian, nor of any other planet she’d ever visited.

She wanted to understand it.

As she chased the tune, she felt a heaviness grow under her lids. But she wasn’t sleepy. She was happy. The tune was cheerful enough, but there was something about the way it moved that made her smile.

“Kara!”

Kara’s eyes sprung open and she looked around. She was on the ground, her head resting in Nia’s lap. The tune had faded away.

“What? What happened?” She breathed. Her voice was thick, almost raspy, like it was in the morning after a night of disuse.

“You got all smiley and then you fainted.”

Kara sat up. She rubbed her eyes; her lids were still heavy.

“What did you hear?” Nia asked.

“It was,” Kara was still blinking herself awake. “It was like a tune. Some song I’d never heard.”

As she thought of it, she could hear it softly playing. Comforting white noise.

“Kara?”

“Huh?” She shook her head. The tune vanished.

“You were getting all smiley again.”

“I could hear it again.” Kara stood up. “I don’t think I should talk about it. It’s bad. That’s it.”

Nia rose to her own feet. She was staring at Kara, and, Rao, did Kara know that look. It had been one the Danverses, as kind as they’d been, had been unable to stop looking at her with.

“I’m worried about you.”

Kara sighed. “And you think we should go back and get J’onn and James.”

“I wasn’t going to say that.”

“It’s okay if you would’ve.” Kara sighed. “You’d probably be right.”

Nia took Kara’s hand with both of her own.

“You were right to want to help. But I don’t know if we can do this alone.”

Kara opened her mouth to speak, but before anything could come out the air was filled with the piercing screech of a bullhorn. Kara’s hands were over her ears in an instant.

“Oh no.” Nia could see a black armored truck pull up through one of the blown out windows.

Even without the insignia printed on the side, Nia would’ve recognized those trucks anywhere. They were CADMUS.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I had the whole mind control thing planned before season 5 even started. The fact that mind control has been a major plot point in season five and in this AU is purely coincidental, but, hey, I'll take it.
> 
> Anyway, thank you for reading. Hope everyone is safe and healthy.
> 
> I can be found on Tumblr at: twoheartsofsteel.


	9. Where Are We

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, apologies that this took so long to be updated. I really appreciate everyone who has kept up with the story.

Querl Dox watched them run. He watched them run in the wrong direction. Not towards CADMUS, but away from him.

He was almost mad. Not at them but at himself. He had been so close. His message had actually made it to someone, someone who- if these readings were correct- could actually save him.

But he had miscalculated, as seemed was a theme in his short life. And now they were running away from him, forced to by his own alarm.

The only way to get them back on track was to sound another.

* * *

Kara was falling behind, something very unlike Kara.

“Kara, we need to go!” Nia yelled as she skidded to a stop.

She turned, hoping to find Kara right behind her, but Kara was much farther back. Her muscular legs should have carried her farther than Nia could ever go, but she was moving slowly, almost hobbling. It was as though her limbs were not quite getting the message.

Nia watched as Kara twitched, a full body reaction running from her toes to her face. She grimaced. A half smile almost appearing and for a brief moment her eyes going totally clear. Translucent.

“Kara?” Nia found herself breathing heavily, the short exertion already taking its toll. But she could hear sirens off in the distance. They were close enough that even her almost human hearing had picked up on them. CADMUS had reinforcements.

A thought occurred to her suddenly. If they were captured, it was likely the chip would bring Kara under full control, and then the Luthor’s would have a Kryptonian powerhouse at their disposal.

Capture wasn’t an option.

“We need to go.” Nia yelled again.

Kara was no longer hobbling. In fact, she’d picked up speed. That would have been comforting, if not for the fact that her eyes had gone clear again, an odd reflection of white and soft red veins replacing the clear blue.

Nia started to move purely on instinct. She rounded a corner and kept going. Kara’s body was definitely behind her. The question was who was in Kara’s head.

She pumped her legs harder, hoping against hope that Kara’s super speed hadn’t fully developed. As it turned out, hope wasn’t enough, and suddenly Nia was in someone’s arms.

She looked up and it was Kara, somehow without a hair out of place despite running at top speed. Her eyes were still strange, but she was moving, as far as Nia could tell, away from CADMUS. And for now that was enough for Nia.

* * *

The world went dark very quickly after CADMUS arrived. Kara felt the sirens in her head. They seemed to rattle around within her, pulsating through her skull. That was annoying, but not abnormal; she did have super senses after all. What was abnormal was when darkness began to swim at the edges of her vision.

One moment she was running, not even very fast, and the next she couldn’t feel her legs. Maybe she was still running, carried on instinct and adrenaline. Maybe she had stopped and stood completely immobilized. She didn’t know. She couldn’t feel her body. Maybe she didn’t have one.

All she knew was that the darkness was spreading. It came in like a fog. And it spread quickly until Kara couldn’t see at all.

No sight. No touch. And then everything went quiet.

Kara woke up in her lab.

Her head was against her desk, arms reached out in front of her, and tools all around. It was just as she’d left it.

She blinked and lifted her head.

No. No, it couldn’t be. Because the last time she’d seen her lab, everything had been on the floor. Tables overturned and glasses cracked. There had been an earthquake. One of Krypton’s last.

She stood and looked around. How could she be here? She looked down. She was in her light blue robe with the house of El crest on the shoulder. Her mother’s favorite of her outfits.

“What?”

She didn’t understand. This didn’t make any sense.

“Hello?” She called out as she began rubbing her fingers over the fabric of her robe. It felt exactly as she remembered it.

“Hello.” Kara jumped at the new voice.

A boy stood before her. He was small, shorter than her even if he was her age, and his skin was a shiny pale blue, almost like it wasn’t flesh but something harder, less organic.

“My name is Querl Dox.” His voice seemed to vibrate, growing softer and louder at random intervals, as though it were being broadcast from somewhere far away.

She took a step towards the boy. The message relayed in her head. Help. Querl Dox. Help. L-Corp. L-Corp.

“You’re Querl Dox?” Was all she could manage.

Querl nodded and shifted his hands behind his back. Holding his chin up, he said. “Also known as Brainiac 5.”

“How are you here?” She looked around. She knew this place like the back of her hand. This was definitely her lab. “How am I here?”

“This… laboratory is the physical manifestation of the place your subconscious feels most comfortable.”

“So we’re not on Krypton?”

At that, he cast her a look.

“You’re the second Kryptonian?” Querl asked.

“Um… yes.”

Querl turned away from her and laced his fingers together.

“That does make sense. Your biology would allow for a greater possibility of intercepting my message.” He turned to face her again, a definite frown now pulling at his face. “It also means you’re at great risk.”

Kara could’ve rolled her eyes. It’s what Alex would do.

“I know.” Was what she said.

Querl nodded. “Yes, I suppose you would.”

His eyes drifted to the rows of instruments along the wall of her lab.

“You were a scientist?” He asked.

Kara blinked. She was a scientist. Almost the youngest to enter the Science Guild. She hadn’t thought of that in a long time. Alex never asked her much about home.

“I was.” She said.

Querl seemed to look her up and down. He was a bit inscrutable. It might have been the distinct lack of eyebrows on his pale skin.

“Very well.” He turned away from her and reached for microlaser placed on one of the storage units. He turned it around in his hands, fascination clear in his eyes.

“It’s a standard microlaser.” Kara said. Surely, his home planet had such rudimentary technology?

“I am well-aware of what it appears to be. I am searching for possible brain damage.”

“Brain damage?”

“Yes, brain damage.” Querl continued his methodical examination.

Kara’s hand reflexively went to her head. Underneath her shaggy hair she could feel the slight elevations of where CADMUS had cut her open. She gulped. She was fine. She had to be. She was an impervious Kryptonian. She wasn’t…

Everything was soft. Her eyes were heavy and despite the evidence that she was not physically here, she felt her legs give way.

Querl caught her.

“That is concerning.”

“Uh huh.” Kara shook her head. She blinked again. Why was her head fuzzy? If what Querl said was true, then she was inside her head. She shook herself again.

“The Lexochip appears to be competing with my systems.” Querl set Kara down next to her workbench.

“What do we do about that?”

Querl looked around again. This time he set his sights on a tablet left by Kara’s tools. With a silver finger, he began to scroll through its contents.

“Given that the files on here are readable- in English, by the way- I would say there is currently no lasting damage to any major areas of your brain. It seems that we are still engaging in a contest of wills.”

“A contest of wills?” Kara was growing tired of feeling ten steps behind everything Querl was saying.

“To put it in layman’s terms, you are doing an adequate job of fighting back against the Lexochip’s network. The fact that you are doing so and still managed to intercept my message is really quite remarkable.”

“That’s great and all, but how do we stop the chips. It seems like every human in National City has one, and they aren’t fighting it like I am.”

Querl hopped up on Kara’s workbench. He crossed his legs and leaned back, taking in the view of Argo City’s skyline outside the nearby window. Evidently, he was becoming more and more comfortable here. Kara was feeling just the opposite.

“At this point, 98.73 percent of the accounted for human population have Lexochips implanted. Of those, 99 percent have been integrated into what Lex Luthor is calling the Brainiac Matrix.”

“But you’re Brainiac… You’re powering the chips?”

“I’m their operating system, yes.”

Kara wasn’t sure if her strength would work here, but she dove at Querl anyway. She grabbed him by the shoulders and spun him around into a wall. With her forearm pressed into his chest, she spat.

“And you haven’t turned them off, why?”

Querl’s eyes flickered. Quite literally flickered, as though they were made purely of light and not flesh.

“I can’t.” He gulped. “I am the power source, but I have no control over the Lexochips. The body you see before you is not the one that I am physically in. That one has been… gutted. I am a power source, nothing more.”

Kara released the boy from her grip. His voice had lost its tone and his body had shrunk up against the wall. He held himself there; she didn’t need to.

“That’s why you called for help.”

Querl nodded.

“Okay.” Kara said she would help, and she would. But this was big. This was really big. And for the first time in a while, she felt very small. “You’re in L-Corp. Where?”

“A sub-basement. It is heavily guarded.”

“Okay,” Kara sighed. “So get to L-Corp and go down.”

Querl’s eyes flickered once again.

“I must go.” He said. “Give Clark my best.”

Kara froze.

“Clark’s dead.”

Querl’s brow furrowed and he opened his mouth to speak. Before he could, though, his image flickered and just like that he was gone.

Kara blinked and her lab disappeared, replaced by the blurred streets of National City. Nia was in her arms.


End file.
